A new breakfast and lunch spot quietly opened in Clayton about a month ago. Zante Café (7711 Bonhomme) takes the place of The Patio Café, inside the Equity Building.
The restaurant’s owner, Danny Botonis, ran the now-shuttered Little Greek Corner in Fenton and the popular My Big Fat Greek Truck, which is now for sale, so Botonis can concentrate on the brick and mortar.
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“Zante” is the alternate name for the Greek island of Zakynthos, in the Ionian Sea. It’s an homage to Botonis’ parents, who grew up there. “I still consider it my second home, although I haven’t been back in years,” says Botonis. Despite the name, “it’s not really a Greek restaurant,” adds Botonis.
There’s a chicken souvlaki pita on the lunch menu (the biggest seller), which shares the sandwich category with a French dip, turkey melt, BLT, veggie pita, po’ boy, plus homemade chicken and tuna salad.
There’s a Greek salad, with homemade Greek dressing, as well as a Caesar, Cobb, and repeats of the aforementioned chicken and tuna salad on a bed of lettuce. Botonis is especially proud of the homemade tzatziki, served with grilled pita.
The breakfast menu includes several croissant sandwiches, plus a range of coffee and espresso drinks, bottles juices, and Lucky Brand bottled sodas.
There’s also a daily special, which is what alerted us to the place: A pair of lobster and shrimp rolls are offered every Friday (for the near future, anyway) for the reasonable price of $12.50. (It’s the special today, too.)
At present, it’s easy to miss the nondescript eatery, though Botonis is looking forward to patio season, when the 14 indoor seats will triple. Considering the patio is equipped with a fireplace, that might be any day.
